News & Events

Pirates Pitch Finals: Student Teams To Compete for
$10,000 in Prizes on April 24!

The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies will award $10,000 in prizes
at Pirates Pitch, the 3nd annual Seton Hall University Venture Fund
Competition. The competition will be held on Wednesday April 24
from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. in Jubilee Hall Auditorium. "This is a
terrific opportunity for our students with entrepreneurial spirit to
shine," said Susan Scherreik, Director of the Stillman School of
Business’ Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. "We have doubled the
amount of prize money available this year and we expect the 2013
contest to be the best ever," she added.

At the Finalists competition, five student teams will "pitch" their
original business ideas to a prestigious panel of outside judges. For
those students who have already started a business, the pitch will
focus on how to expand their business. The judges are: Bill Bartzak,
President, CEO and founder of MD On-Line; Jim DiCarlo, co-founder and
Environmental Compliance Officer, Fleetwash, Inc.; Travis Kahn,
Executive Director, TechLaunch, LLC, Shannon Morris, President, Sigma
Group; and Pravina Raghavan, New York District Director, U.S. Small
Business Administration.

The judges will select the two top student teams based on both the
students' presentations and written business plans. The judges will
evaluate the business models on factors that include creativity,
innovation, growth potential, and the venture’s ability to turn a
profit.

The winning team will receive $6,000 in prize money, and the runner-up
team will receive $3,500. Both top winners will also receive business
services to help them launch their ventures. The public is invited to
the Pirates Pitch Finalist Competition, and audience members will be
asked to cast a vote via their cell phone for their favorite finalist
team. The most popular team will receive a $500 Audience Choice Award.